Most people aren’t. Most Americans get about 15 grams of fiber daily. In 2002, the US government recommended that the average adult get between 21 and 38 grams each day. These recommendations were based on several large studies that found people who consumed 14 grams of fiber for each 1,000 calories had significantly lower rates of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Many nutritional experts believe 35-45 grams would be even better.

What is fiber? It’s the indigestible portion of plant foods. Most people think of fiber as bulk that helps move the bowels, but there’s much more to know about fiber. There are two kinds of fiber—soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber becomes gelatinous in the intestines. It’s soothing to intestinal walls and helps make bowel movements easier. Studies show it also decreases cholesterol. Insoluble fiber acts like an intestinal broom. Both kinds ease elimination by increasing fecal bulk and making stools softer. Both kinds of fiber absorb and remove toxins, including heavy metals and excess estrogen. Both have been shown to produce a feeling of fullness, so that you tend to eat less. Both delay glucose absorption, helping to moderate blood sugar and insulin levels. And both break down into food that nourishes both the good tummy bugs in our intestines and our intestinal walls.

One of the greatest shortcomings of the modern diet is its low fiber content. Sugar, animal proteins and fats, and soft drinks (which are now the single largest contributor of calories in the US diet) have no fiber at all. Cooking, refining and juicing all reduce fiber (although blending drinks in a VitaMix preserves fiber). We get fiber from plant foods: fruits and vegetables, beans and nuts.

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